Head Chef

Are you ready for your next exciting role? Do you enjoy working with creative chefs who enjoy innovating seasonal menus, using quality, raw ingredients? Are you able to share your skills and develop an established brigade that you can motivate, inspire, and lead?

Due to internal promotion, we are looking for an experienced Head Chef to lead our food offer under the guidance of our Executive Head Chef, Jim Eaves.

Your primary role will be to oversee the Rooftop restaurant kitchen. The Rooftop will deliver in excess of £2 million turnover per annum. We prepare, bake, and create all food from scratch and are proud to work with some fabulous local suppliers.

In our beautiful Rooftop Restaurant, customers can join us for lunch, dinner, pre-theatre dinner, afternoon tea, or our famous Sunday roast!

This role is offered as a full-time, permanent position with no breakfast or split shifts. You would be working 48 hours per week over 5 days out of 7, including some evening and weekend working.

Reporting to our Executive Head Chef, key areas of responsibility include:

• Leading the food offer in the Rooftop restaurant (plated), retail (Grab and go/packaged products), events, and pastry across both kitchens in Stratford-upon-Avon.
• Overseeing menu changes and rotation of dishes in conjunction with Jim, and arranging tastings, specs, and final sign-off for all menus.
• Ensuring menus are planned seasonally using local produce and raw ingredients.
• Being a role model to all chefs and providing a link between the front of house and kitchen, liaising with all colleagues and working closely with the Senior Sous Chef and Junior Sous Chefs.
• Finding innovative ways of producing menus which meet and exceed the agreed GP budget each month.
• Ensuring full compliance with all food hygiene and associated legislative regulations.

We are looking for:

• Previous experience of working within a high volume, quality food environment at a senior level with plated service, event, and retail experience.
• Strong leadership skills combined with a proven ability in the management of a large team.
• Knowledge of stock management and ordering systems.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Knowledge of food trends and innovation which can inspire and excite.

What can the RSC offer:

• Working hours 9 am until 7 pm with no breakfast or split shifts.
• Permanent contract and guaranteed hours with consecutive days off.
• Full training and personal development.
• RSC benefits package including 25 days holiday.
• Share of the TRONC.
• Complimentary theatre tickets.
• Reduced working hours on Sundays.

Application Process

All applications should be made online using the RSC website. If you need any assistance when applying, please email jobs@rsc.org.uk.

About the RSC

The RSC strives for excellence and values creativity, inclusivity, sustainability, collaboration, and accountability.

We can offer great benefits and aim to create a welcoming, supportive environment which is happy, healthy, and safe. We place great importance upon developing a diverse, highly motivated, and energised workforce to help achieve our priorities. We put our values at the heart of everything we do.

We are committed to building a diverse workforce and welcome applications from all individuals.

We believe that safeguarding children and adults is everyone's responsibility, and everybody working at the RSC has a duty to place safeguarding at the heart of their work.

The Royal Shakespeare Company (no. 212481) is a registered charity.